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RE-FINISHING COSTUME JEWELRY: MORE THAN VANITY PLATING

When it came to leaming about the process of plating jewelry I was a liule intimidated. I had pictured an apple dipping into candy coatirig-- a quick and dirty transformation from raw parts to shiny confections. But I was wrong. Plating is actually pretry complicated.

The chemical tanks, the electrical charges-- all the science involved-- it all seemed an unfortunate flashback to high school chemistry class. So when taking the tour of a metal plating factory in Providence, Rhode Island, I was understandably wary. But seeing the whole process up close-- the electrical charging of metals, the submersion ofthese negatively-charged metals into positively-charged plating baths-- somehow there was a definite art lingering among the chemical processes, smells, and clattering machinery.

Plating can be defrired as adding a thin layer of metal to a metal object, usually to enhance or change its appearance, protect it, or to The process used in plating (or "electroplating") to this day was discovered by Italian chemist Luigi Brugnatelli in the early 1800's. Using his knowledge of chemical properties and the emerging science of electricity, he devised away to plate a silver medallion with gold-- that is, to deposit alayer of gold to the surface of a silver object. Unfortunately, the governments of Europe refused to publish his discovery at the time, as they disapproved of scientific advancementhat had not been commissioned by them.

It wasn't until the 1840's that a pair of scientists in England expanded on Brugnatelli's idea, and ran with it. They acquired the first patent on plating, and started the world's first commercial plating company. They made an alluring promise to their customers-- namely, that they would plate a less valuable metallic object (such as copper or brass) with a pized metal like gold or silver, to enhance its value, appearance, and sometimes durability. Early plated items that made a splash in Europe were things like cutlery and eyeglass frames. A few years later, they would begin to plate pieces ofjewelry, making pendants, earrings, brooches and chains affordable to the middle-class citizen for the first time.

The Plating Process

Since then, plating has continued to be a successful industry, and the same principles are still utilized. Works of beauty are created more efficiently these days, ip bulk in plating factories, but the same process of harnessing the forces of electricity and carefully calibrated chemical reactions is required. These days, the process of plating begins with a thorough cleaning of the objects to be plated. This removes any dirt, oils, rusts, or other residue from the surface of the piece, providing the

smoothest possible surface for plating. The pieces are then rinsed with an acid to act.ivate the surfaces before plating. Then, one of two methods is used:

Rack Plating

Rack plating is the first option, and it is quite common when it comes to re-finishing costum jewelry. The cleansed items to be plated (called the "work") are draped or otherwise afftxed securely to a large metal rack. This allows items like watch chains or bracelets to be finished in bulk, with minimum tangling.

Racks are made of highly conductive metals, usually copper, which allows for an electric current to be transferred to the work itself. The charge comes from a device called a rectifier, which converts AC electricity (from an outlet) to a high-voltage direct current. The current is what will allow the polarity of the items to be manipulated.

The negatively charged uork is then immersed into a tank of electrolyte solution (or a "plating"). This solution contains particles of the desired plating metal (called "metal salts"), which is positively charged and has aissotl-ed into a mixture of acids and water Sometimes other chemical adgents like a "brightener" are added to the solution (if a shiny finish is desired).

The positively charged metal particles (invisibie to the eye). are attracted to any negatively charged object they can find. Luckily our negatively-charged watch chains and bracelets, the positive particles adhere in an even thin, smoolh layer to the chains' surfaces, due to the imbalance of electrons that has purposeiy occurred. This process can take anlt'here from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the desired thickness of the plating, though usually the process is pretty brief'

Most items ofjewelry require only a very thin layer to achieve their desired look. Then the parts are  rinsed with plain water to remove any chemical residue. Sometimes they go on to be immersed in rust-resistant solutions or lacquers, but are always cleansed thoroughly of chemical residue in the end.

Barrel Plating

Another way that parts are plated is with barrel plating. Barrgl plating is generally a more efficient way to plate alarge amount of items. It is the prefened method for pieces too small to attach to racks (like small findings for example). Barrel plating utilizes all the same electrochemical processes as rack plating, but the items to be platei *. io.t"ud placed in a plastic, cylindrical container. This container has small holes drilled through the sides, as welf as a'odangler," a piece of of metal which is flexible and conductive.

The barrel begins to rotate once it is submerged in the positively charged plating bath (prepared in the same way as it is for rack plating), and the dangler is given a negative electrical current from a rectifier. When it comes into contact with the work inside the barrel, it transfers its negative charge. The current is transmitted from piece to piece as they tumble around together in the barrel' and the positively charged metal particles in theiolution find their way through the holes in the barrel.

The work is plated evenly as the barrel rotates in the solution. As an item is plated, rack OR barrel style, it is important to note that the metal is actually physically removed from the solution during ihe plating process. Even if the liquid in a tank still looks clear after plating, its chemical composition is totally different. The amount of metal salts a plater puts in at the beginning is directly proportional to amount of voltage that must be used to make this process happen correctly.

Gold Plating: A Unique Luster

Gold plating in particular has its own sort of sort of methodology to it, especially when it comes to costume jewelrv. Wittr piefes to be plated gold, it is common for the pieces to first be plated with a flash, coat of copper (a very thin layer of copper plating). This layer acts as a primer for the piece, providing a perfectiy ,both base foi the gold to luter adhere to. This copper layer is then followed with another coat of a metal such as nickel or tin or brass, which will have a brightening effect on the finished piece, as well as provide a barrier before the gold is applied. If gold is placed directly atop the copper, it piece wouid appear too red in hue which mighttake away from the aesthetic appeal of the piece.

with the development of the electronics industry in the 1940's and 1950's, platers were faced a new sort of client for their gold-plating: electronics manufacturers. These companies were EXTREMELY interested in gold plating. TVs, modem cameras, and microwaves were still beng developed, and their man rfacturers hal a problem--copper corrosion. Copper is one of the most, parts of wiring in these new technologies, but it was prone to rusting and corrosion over time. For the sensitive pieces inside their machinery-- record players, radios, and televisions, gold was the go to metal. But if these copper pieces were plated in corrosion-proof gold, they would last much longer, yet still retain the conductive properties copper! The electronics industry development of over 200 more gold and gold-alloy baths, many of which are still decorative options.

boom led to the used today as Common Plating Mishaps If a piece is improperly plated "the piece will take on the chemical properties of its base metal." If the objects base is steel, the object will corrode. If it is brass-based, the item can oxidize over time and green in certain parts. If this happens to an important piece ofjewelry, sometimes it will go through the process of being re-plated. This can happen if.'ir-hen plated for the first time, the current is intemrpted before the plating process is complete, the piece u.ill not be coated properly and requires a second go-round. Our plating tour guide/guru explained that, in his experience, improper plating has been the case with imported items from overseas. The pieces are, as a rule, rinsed thoroughly betn'een all these phases to remove any residues.

How Long Does Plating Last?

Costume jewelry is plated in valuable metals, not made of solid metal, because it is meant to be affordable and to be worn only on occasion-the more often it is wom, the faster the plating will wear off. Gold plating DOES wear when exposed to the environment (water, air, and the chemicals and oils from our skin), but it does not tarnish. Brass, however, wears and tarnishes, which is why you get that green tinge to the metal in brass items. Additionally, even if an item is plated gold, if it is not properly plated, it can tamish. because there can be flaws in the plating which air and moisture can reach.

Variations in Finish

Each tank at a factory contains a different metal and a different finish of that metal, which provides a veritable metallic rainbow of options for decorative plating; the variations in color and surface shine are almost endless. For a shiny finish, brighteners are added to the plating bath in the tanks, while there are also solutions designed to produce medium-shiny finishes, or even matte. The same is true for silver and copper, rhodium, and the other plating metals. For an antiqued finish,

besides a unique plating solution, items are also turmbled gently around with small stones before plating.

Shiny Vs. Antiqued Finishes

My personal favorite finish is the rox finish, as opposed to a shiny finish. To achieve this worn-looking rox plating, the objects to be plated must acquirc amatte finish. For example, a Copper Rox finish is achieved by getting a heavy copper plating, after which they are "relieved" with stones- basically, gently rolled around with rocks to achieve a look of age and wear on the piece. Shiner finishes are prone to scratches (shiny finishes can highlight any pre-existing flaws in the piece.) That's why antiqued finishes are cool. One can imagine the piece has a story but it is all an arnazing artful illusion, not uncommon to the idea behind distressed jeans. This process can be used with most metals that arc capable of achieving this matte finish- old rox, silver rox, and even to get that look of old pewer.

Final Step

The final step for all plated is the finishing touch of being polished by dried, crushed corn cob. This is the reason why some plated pieces ofjewelry like a locket, might contain small light particle inside- they are acciientallyieft over and it's just an easily removable dusting of leftover corncobs from this step.- (It has been rumored that this dusting was fron mice or-other debris, but this is-not true).

Small items rotate in barrels with the cob, while chains and other itmes susceptible to tangling are "swished" around in the corn cob barrel to avoid the hassle of tangles.